We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful YUI KOBAYASHI. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with YUI below.

YUI, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Getting that first client is always an exciting milestone. Can you talk to us about how you got your first customer who wasn’t a friend, family, or acquaintance?

Two years ago during the pandemic, I started my candle business in my kitchen. With unnecessary outings restricted, I wanted to quickly deliver candles that everyone could enjoy at home. So, I decided to use a kick scooter to deliver candles to people living within a two-mile radius of my home. Even though I only had around 300 Instagram followers at the time, thanks to people who found my endeavor intriguing, I soon received several orders. Since I had just moved to Bushwick, Brooklyn, it was really enjoyable to be able to go to various places, and I was very happy to see everyone’s happy faces directly. One day, after delivering to a woman who lived nearby, she contacted me a few weeks later. She was an employee of Madewell and wanted to sell your products at Madewell. For me, who was making candles alone in the kitchen, this request from a big company was an unbelievable event. Moreover, as an immigrant who moved from Japan a few years ago and can hardly speak English, it was like a dream come true to have such a big job come my way.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Originally, I worked as a graphic designer in Japan, but I moved to New York due to my husband’s job transfer. I had never been to America and had no interest in it. So, I had never studied English, and I couldn’t speak English at all. However, graphic design work can be done as long as you have a computer, so even after moving to New York, I was able to continue working for Japanese clients. However, as time passed, I started to like New York more and more. While we could have chosen to return to Japan, I began to think that I wanted to live in America for the rest of my life. Especially after moving to Bushwick in Brooklyn, talking to various artists and experiencing their work, I not only wanted to live here but also strongly wanted to become a part of their community. So, I thought about what I could do, and as a result, I decided to mix and express my Japanese cultural roots of “Kawaii” with the free and artistic culture of Brooklyn through candles.

The difference between me and others is clear. I am a Japanese person living in Brooklyn who cannot speak English. I think there are no other Japanese people around me who speak as little English as I do, haha. However, living in Bushwick, I learned that language is not the only thing necessary to convey something. Even though I can’t speak English well, I can shed tears and smile by seeing their works. Even without words, we can understand each other.

Until now, as an immigrant who couldn’t speak English, I always felt alienated even though I had been in America for a long time. But since I started making candles and was able to interact with many people through them, I began to feel that it’s okay for me to be here.

Because I am different from everyone else, I can now say with confidence that there are things I can do.

How’d you think through whether to sell directly on your own site or through a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc.

We sell our products on our website and Etsy. Most of the traffic to our website comes from Instagram. It’s essential to keep Instagram constantly active and updated; otherwise, it doesn’t lead to sales. Etsy is a place where customers who don’t know us can find us. However, since they are not our fans, they tend to look for the lowest possible prices.

Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?

Starting this spring, I’ll be launching a new business with co-founder. My business partner is someone who originally was a student at Parsons School of Design and had interned at YUI BROOKLYN. She happened to find me on Twitter and reached out expressing her interest in working with me. In fact, most of the people who work with me have been drawn in through my personal social media profiles. Besides the social media presence for my candle store, maintaining an active presence on my personal social media platforms has allowed me to showcase my personality and attract talented employees.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://yuibrooklyn.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yuibrooklyn/